Slide won't budge on Colt 1911

I have a Colt 1911 with about 150 rounds thru it. It has worked flawlessly. Last time I shot it, I did not have a chance to clean it immediately afterwards, and it has set in the safe for a couple of months. I took it out today. I can't get the slide to budge at all, not even a millimeter. The safety is completely off. I have no idea what the problem could be since it worked fine last time it was shot.

Gun is a series 80, 100 yrs of service roll marked Colt, so made in 2011. Its been to the range twice. 150 rounds at most. Not even broke in really.

The slide won't budge at all. Not even a wiggle... its like its completely seized.

Safety is completely disengaged.

Hammer is still cockable. Trigger still drops the hammer. Thumb Safety engages and disengages with no problems.

I always rack the slide a few times after I shoot a gun to verify it is unloaded before i transport it. I have no specific recollection of doing this for this gun, but assume I would have as it is my protocol. There was no problems racking the slide at last session.

First off, I don't know jack about your 1911 so keep that in mind. Secondly, I would never shoot any of my guns then put them away for MONTHS without cleaning!!! Well ok maybe my HiPoint...but at least I run a Boresnake through it and spray it.
Have you tried removing the barrel bushing?

We had another person with the same problem a long time ago. The fix is fairly straight forward if that is the same problem with yours. Good luck

I had something like that happen after a young Military recruit cleaned my 1911.

If you can remove the spring; if not remove end cap to release tension. Move slide back and forth (shake, rattle, and roll) until the slide goes back far enough to get the slide stop pin out for disassembly. Put the 1911 back together and be sure the pin goes through the eye of the barrel link loop. Sounds like you missed the eye of the barrel link to me...It is easy to do and if that is the problem no damage was done and hope that helps.

Click to expand...

You can actually shoot the 1911 for a bit even after the eye loop is missed; not always just depends on the weapon. But when they lock up, they lock....

Hopefully someone like rcmodel shows up with an approved method of clearing it.

The safest thing to do is take it to a gunsmith and pay them to free the slide

Having said that, I'll add that I've never had it happen with a 1911, but I have had it happen before when shooting dirty ammo....
I'M NOT RECOMMENDING THIS, but it is what I did...placed front of the slide, under the muzzle, on a table and drove the frame forward...it was a H&K P7. I've also seen folks fix the frame in a vice and drive the slide back with a mallet

My first guess is, rode hard put away WET. Where do you live? Hot humid? Near saltwater? I know new gun should not rust, but a fitted slide will have bare steel. Recovering and all you may not have enough hand strength to really pull it. Take it to a gun smith, they should be able to remove the barrel bushing, and hopefully be able to apply just enough force to break the rust free.

Not comparing my 1911 to a colt by any stretch of the imagination but mine used to get stuck pretty hard the first 200-300 rounds..... I would clean the snot out of it, and then rack the slide 1-2 gazillion times... now it works perfectly.

As far as freeing it up... I break everything that gets stuck. So, if you think your like me... introduce yourself to your smith.

You have gone through enough and deserve to get your gun done up right!

Dribble a little oil in the rails from the rear and stand the pistol muzzle down for a few minutes to let gravity do its thing.

Cock the hammer. Hold the grip firmly and smack the muzzle with the palm of your hand 2-3 times while driving the frame forward with the other hand. It should break loose.

If the gun is loaded, use a length of 2X4 for the smackin'. Wrap a towel around it it makes you feel better about smackin' it with a board...and leave the hammer down...and keep your finger off the trigger.

BTW, a former coworker had jammed his Sig with a cleaning patch. I put it in a vise (with wood blocks to protect the finish) and placing a piece of wood against the front of the slide, whacked it with a mallet. That worked and he was a happy deputy. I wouldn't try that on a 1911 as 9mmepiphany's suggestion is much easier.

+1 on removing the recoil spring. First ensure the gun is unloaded by putting a dowel down the barrel. Then remove the spring and bushing. This should allow the barrel to move some and hopefully unjam it. If it still won't move, get a wood block and hammer and whack the slide rearward a couple of times. That will probably do the job. If not, it's really stuck, and it's going to take a trip to the gunsmith to get it free.

There's probably at least a 95% chance that will fix it, and if it doesn't, even the gunsmith's options are going to be highly limited. Frankly, that's probably what the gunsmith will try in the first place. Simple tools and methods are always the best, when they work.

What Tuner said.. and or spraying the entire length of the slide hoping it seeps under and helps loosen things up.

I've become cautious about who I tell to give something a little whack or tap. but yes a piece of 2x4 wrapped in a towel, try and line the edge of the 2x4 up so it rests just below the barrel where the spring cap and bushing are. A standard GI spring cap will move with the slide the barrel only a little bit. An alternative is to try the one handed reload cycling action often quoted here. Find a lower height table top. place a towel on the edge.. set the slide on the edge of the table so that the barrel hangs over, the GI plug hooks the table top.. lean into the gun with your body weight. MAKE SURE YOUR FINGER IS OFF THE TRIGGER AND YOUR TOES ARE NOT LINED UP WITH THE BARREL.

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